A new $47 million weed management investment led by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has been developed to support Australian grain growers to manage one of the most persistent and costly challenges facing farming businesses.
GRDC chairperson and grain grower Sharon Starick said the Weed Management Initiative (WMI) was a critical investment the organisation was making on behalf of Australian grain growers and built on three decades of weed research development and extension (RD&E).
“Conservatively, weeds impose an annual cost on growers of approximately $4.1 billion in lost production and control measures. This equates to around $196 per hectare,” she said.
“This financial burden is exacerbated by the rapid evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, limited availability of new chemical control options, and shifting climatic conditions affecting weed distribution and frequency.
“Investment in innovative, cutting-edge, integrated weed RD&E is crucial for the sustainability and profitability of Australian grain growers. This is why GRDC has invested $25M on behalf of growers and partnered with some of the best research organisations in the country.”
The five-and-a-half year initiative would bring Australia’s leading researchers and communications and extension specialists together to work on innovative, cutting-edge weed management RD&E.
Under this initiative, four regional nodes will be established: one in Western Australia, one in the southern region (South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria) based within the University of Adelaide and two in the northern region (Queensland and New South Wales) – catering for the summer and winter cropping systems.
Mrs Starick said this federated approach would build on GRDC’s long-term investment in integrated weed management and ensure there was a well-resourced and interconnected research community, and cohesion in national efforts across RD&E.
